There is no reason why you can’t take up a hobby at any point in life. Many people have found great comfort in taking up the hobby of gardening in these times. American garden supply stores provide plenty of opportunities for those with some planting ideas to get all of the supplies that they require to make it happen. You will want to search for the best garden items at any nursery near me to see what kind of reviews they have received as well as what recommendations are available for what you might want to plant.
The best garden landscapers near me can help to tell you what people in the local area find to be beautiful in a garden. Perhaps you can learn from their experiences and see if some of their gardening ideas make sense to use in your own garden as well. You don’t have to be just like everyone else in your local area if you don’t want to, but it is often a good idea to at least try to match up what you intend to plant with some of the gardening ideas that have already worked in the local area before. Check it out and you will be pleased with how well gardening can work as a hobby.
Spring is officially here (achoo). For those of us with green thumbs, this means we are on our hands and knees in the dirt, waking our gardens from their weary winter hibernation. Spring is also a time of new beginnings-and new gardeners. We were all there once wandering around the Home Depot, staring at 300 dollar sprinkler systems and specialized plant food for every conceivable vegetative ambition, wondering how anyone managed to grow a single tomato without a Master’s degree in biology or a savings bond.
You do not need either of those things to make plants grow. In fact, most of what you need is probably easily found at your local nursery or already lying around your garage. Below are a few money saving tips to get you started, compiled by Peace Corps volunteers who have been gardening in the back waters of the world for over fifty years.
Save Seeds
Rather than spending money on seed packets, which can add up, get one of those weekly medication containers and save the seeds of your favorite fruits and vegetables that you eat throughout the year. Tomatoes and peppers are easy and especially good for the sunny summer months.
Use Organic Materials
Don’t waste dollar bills on expensive fertilizers and treated top soils that have a questionable effect on the environment. Instead, dig up your soil 12 inches deep and pull out any importunate root systems, then amend with small pebbles if need be to assist drainage. While you’re at it, start a compost heap and put your garbage to work! The process is simple and directions are everywhere online. Plus, it’s entirely free and every real gardener knows that organic fertilizer is nature’s way.
Make The Water System You Have Work For You
There is really no need to buy an expensive sprinkler system unless you’re trying to nurse really finicky plants from seed or live in the desert. Even if you have no running water outside, have no fear. There is infinite value in a few feet of rubber hose and stainless hose clamps. A hose clamp is a device used to attach and seal a hose onto a fitting like a faucet-aka, the gardener’s all purpose extension chord! Hose clamps are available in a wide array of materials and sizes, but usually stainless hose clamps are the way to go because they don’t rust.
Before you run off and purchase a stainless hose clamp though, you must choose the best water source for your garden. Hose clamp sizes are legion and an important thing to consider in relation to the radius of your water source. One volunteer we spoke with had to tote her stainless hose clamps from her youth center faucet to a neighbor’s kitchen depending on the center’s hours, and so for her, adjustable hose clamp action made of durable stainless steel was key. You will also want to consider the water pressure your hose clamps will have to contend with. Fortunately, most stainless hose clamps are designed to withstand moderate pressure, which is what you’ll be getting from household water sources.
Figuring out your water source is the most complicated part of the beginner gardening process. Luckily, hose stuff is dirt cheap. Don’t be afraid to learn through trial and error. If you keep at this, you’ll be fostering green things in no time.
